Exercise harnesses are well known in the art. However, these often present the following drawbacks:                If used by untrained operators a high proportion of injuries are likely to result; so harness straps can be misplaced, the forces applied can be disproportional, the level of applied force may be excessive;        There is little or no electronic feedback indicative of the level of applied load, let alone any scope for adjustment of the applied load; and        Prior art systems fail to provide assessments of the scientific detail required for improved analysis and rehabilitation programmes.        
The invention seeks to overcome at least some of these drawbacks whilst offering solutions to further technical problems which can be deduced from the aspects and description which now follow. The invention seeks to provide solutions for muscle conditioning or muscle assessment in both tension and compression modes.